


C'est La Vie

by sky_kaijou



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Badass Katsuki Mari, Because we all need Mari content, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, First Kiss, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 07:06:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25466734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sky_kaijou/pseuds/sky_kaijou
Summary: Mari spills a little on her brother while she shares a cigarettes and beers outside with Viktor.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Comments: 6
Kudos: 84





	C'est La Vie

**Author's Note:**

> This is completely self-indulgent.

It’s been six weeks since Viktor Nikiforov arrived in Hasetsu. Bringing unseasonal snowfall and chaos. Bringing happiness and light. Causing Hasetsu’s collective heads to turn and bring an excited buzz to the town gossip. A new foreigner in town. He’s a cutie. Wait, he’s famous, isn’t he?

It’s been a long time coming, Viktor realises, when Mari invites him to sit down and finally have some one-on-one time with her. Slinking in and out of Yu-Topia at night, Mari seems to have secrets up her sleeves that the rest of her family doesn’t know about. He wonders often about all the secrets the younger Katsuki sibling keeps to himself, too.

Yuuri seems to be innocent enough. Obviously, Viktor knows better after his exhibition at the banquet. But he’s since learned how many glasses were stacked beside Yuuri. Not to mention how wobbly he was when Viktor walked him back to his hotel room and tucked him into bed. Yuuri asked him to give him a kiss on the lips as an _omiyage_ and god did Viktor want to, but not while Yuuri was drunk.

He’s tried often to ask Mari for dirt, and she’s told him until now that’s knowledge he can unlock when he proves he’s not just fucking around in Hasetsu like it’s a neat little holiday. Tonight seems to be that night, built on a foundation of Hasetsu alcohol and clouds of smoke from Mari. Yuuri’s been late at Minako-Sensei’s studio more often than not. Viktor knows he’ll roll his eyes when Viktor’s lolling around the door of his bedroom once he gets home, asking to spend the night. But he’ll notice the upturned lips all the same. That will provide fuel for the next day of getting millimetres closer to Yuuri. At this rate, they might be holding hands willingly by New Years.

They’re sitting outdoors at a rusty table in chairs that are nothing more than functional. The path towards the garden is lit by small solar panel powered lanterns that moths flock to. If he holds his breath he can hear the metronomic dripping of the water from the outdoors hot springs the other side of the fence. Viktor’s on his fourth beer and can’t help but stare at the lights for a while. He loses focus and is staring off into space. Mari catches his attention again and tips the packet towards him as she pulls out a stick and flicks a neon green lighter.

Viktor doesn’t often smoke, mind you. But when his tongue is already coated in hoppy beers, it tastes delicious and gives him a delightful head spin that places halos around said lights. Plus, if he passes down this cigarette, he might pass up an opportunity to get to talk to Mari for real. The first three beers were light conversation about growing up in Hasetsu. But she’s yet to spill anything he didn’t already know about her brother.

Mari has an attitude on her. Not unlike a street cat that hasn’t quite decided between befriending or attack. She said when Viktor first settled in that she was willing to bury him if it meant Yuuri could sleep at night. Don’t fuck with his feelings. He’s fallen hard and deep for this poster-child version of him. If Viktor isn’t going to be that, then don’t stick around.

Viktor’s not been sure for a long time what any other version of him is. Just that the paparazzi-edited version of him doesn’t fit as well as it used to. Maybe it never did, it just paid well enough to play pretend. Viktor’s not sure of a lot, except he’s never felt excited by anything the way he is excited about being in Hasetsu surrounded by a beautiful family, and gorgeous beaches, and hot pools that turn your soul into jelly every time you sink in.

So, he gingerly pulls a cigarette out and lights it. It’s got a vanilla taste on his lips and he quite likes the sweetness. He imagines this is what kissing Yuuri would taste like, since Yuuri is always chewing fruity gum as one of his nervous habits. Viktor loves watching him pop it from the corner of his eyes. Reflecting on that causes Viktor to shiver. Maybe Viktor has some kind of oral fixation kink he needs to visit with some downtime, he thinks to himself for just a moment.

“Katsuki Yuuri,” Mari starts. “I’m sure you know all the basics. Schooling. Dancing and skating. His idolisation of you that caused him to pick up skating full-time.”

“I’ve heard as much,” Viktor admits. “I want to know the secrets though. He’s way too shy. He pulls away. How am I meant to believe this is the same Yuuri Katsuki that allegedly spent years obsessing over me when he runs away so quickly?”

Mari flicks her wrist tapping her cigarette on the tray. It’s beautiful with koi fish decorating the rim. Almost a shame to tarnish it with ash. “You ever have your idol turn up naked in your tiny Japanese hometown?” With Viktor’s sheepish smile, she laughs a little, blowing out a perfect smoke ring just to show off. “It’s a lot for someone to talk in. But believe me, he’s more than interested in you.”

“So, share some secrets. Tell me the things he doesn’t want to tell me yet. I’m _impatient_.”

“And you need to learn patience,” she warns with a dark stare. Her pupils are huge and feel like they’re going to swallow Viktor up. “Well,” Mari smiles devilishly, thinking for a moment. “Did he ever tell you about how he’s not just competed in Ice Skating?”

“Oh, I’ve heard he did some minor ballet competitions too. But the Ice-Skating competitions were time draining.”

“So, he’s not told you about the existence of his pole dancing career during his University Days?”

Viktor’s memory flashed back to the banquet hall. The poles that turned up that turned Yuuri and Chris upside down. There was bound to be some history, but Viktor’s never asked. Just fantasised. “I’ve only seen but a snippet.” If he says anything more than that he might give Mari more truth than he’s willing to share about why he’s turned up in Hasetsu. Like a love-sick teenager. Maybe just a decade late but the sentiment is the same. So he shuts up. Instead, taking another drag of the cigarette, the cherry tip catching his attention for a moment.

“Oh, there’s a whole series of videos online. You just need to find out his stage name.” Mari winks and Viktor feels his head spin.

“Please don’t tell me it’s a pornstar name!” Viktor dramatically covers his mouth with his free hand.

“No, but he once told me that _you_ have an imitation pornstar called Viktor Knickers-off, and I’ve never stopped thinking about how it was the only thing I both needed to know, and _didn’t_ need to know about you.”

“Oh Jesus!” Viktor can’t stop laughing now. It bubbles in his stomach and bursts through his lips until he’s red in the face. “I didn’t know that either! I don’t look for pornstars that imitate me! Do you think there’s one of Yuuri?”

“That’s my _little brother_ you’re talking about, you fucking perve,” she says with a flat voice, raising her eye.

“Sorry!” Viktor goes crimson, and Mari breaks her solemn stare to laugh again. It’s in that moment Viktor realises that Yuuri’s ability to switch moods at the drop of a coin is a family trait. Viktor takes the last drag of that cigarette before stubbing it out and wrapping his long fingers around the can instead.

Viktor hears the front doors of the hot springs slide closed. That must mean Yuuri is home now. He hears a single delighted bark from Makkachin as evidence.

“Phichit is going to be the one to expose the details of secret. I can’t be a further enabler,” Mari tips her beer towards Viktor before drinking it in one go. Viktor drinks his back and opens another can after a while, hearing the satisfied ‘pop’ of the can and the slight fizz. Mari stubs out her cigarette and reaches to light another one. She pushes the packet towards Viktor, who follows her lead. His throat is going to hurt in the morning, but it’s fun spending this time bonding with her.

Yuuri’s eyes are huge when he slides open the back door to find Viktor, beer and cigarette in hand in the backyard with his sister. The air crackles with tension for just a second.

“Hey kid,” Mari shrugs like it’s no big deal.

“Hey…” Yuuri drags out slowly, narrowing his eyes. “I didn’t know you smoked, Viktor.”

“C’est la vie,” Viktor dismisses. “Promise it’s not a habit.”

Yuuri shrugs, just watching the cigarette come to Viktor’s lips voyeuristically. He then reaches onto the table and picks up the packet, putting one between his own lips.

“What are you-?” Viktor asks.

“C’est la vie,” Yuuri repeats back with another shrug. He speaks English so well. It’s only a tiny inflection that insinuates Yuuri didn’t grow up with English as his first language. That being said, Mari was a solid English speaker too. Viktor had learned she used to go to night school in her twenties to get better after high school. Yuuri’s lips look so plump around the thin stick. So kissable. Viktor feels himself swallowing but his mouth is dry. Maybe Yuuri will indulge him in learning more French, maybe Russian. Maybe Viktor doesn’t just have an oral fixation but a thing about languages too. He knows he feels weak when Yuuri speaks formally in Japanese. The way his vowels sound. And even more so when he speaks in _Hakata_ dialect.

“Don’t mind it,” Mari mimics his shrug as Yuuri lights his own cigarette. The way he cups the end to let the flame spring to life hints that this isn’t his first time. “I’m the only one in this family who got addicted. He won’t touch another one for a while.”

“I appreciate my lungs,” Yuuri says. He then mutters something in Japanese to Mari who makes a gesture of non-commitment. Yuuri pulls up his own stool and sits cross-legged on it. He stretches his arms back and yawns a little, and the thin training shirt pulls tight across his chest. Viktor takes a drink to give him a reason to swallow again.

The May air hints at the beginning of Rainy Season. Though it’s been dark out for hours, it’s a thick humidity and he estimates it’s still above twenty-five degrees. Maybe Viktor feels it more watching Yuuri do something so erotic with his mouth. It’s the precipice of Eros. In six weeks, Yuuri has stopped stammering about showing his sexuality through Katsudon and started speaking in full sentences about capturing attention. Viktor knows his ears are burning and it’s spreading over the bridge of his nose. He doesn’t say a lot, none of them do. He _can’t_ say a lot. But Viktor feels like he’s learned a lifetime worth of information from that interaction alone. Yuuri Katsuki, diligent and serious, shy and playful, Agape and Eros, is probably the least judgemental and most complicated person he knows.

He wants to spend the rest of his lifetime figuring it all out. It’s thrilling to feel like this. By learning Yuuri, Viktor can learn himself too. The perfect relationship.

Mari finishes her cigarette on the way back inside, leaving them to sit around the table and share their cigarettes in private. Neither of them talk, just stare at each other for a while. Yuuri eventually raises his eyebrows as he takes a drag and holds it in. “So, tell me Viktor, what kind of information did you mine from my sister?”

“That,” Viktor replies, breathing out, “is a trade secret. Might have been something in there about a pornstar called Viktor _Knickers-off_?” Okay, that was definitely the alcohol loosening his tongue.

“Goddamn it,” Yuuri placed his forehead in his palm, knowing that if she’s brought that up of all things, there’s way more he doesn’t know about. “Anything else?”

“I don’t kiss and tell,” Viktor winks. “Well, I don’t seem to kiss at the moment either. Would you like to fix that for me, Yu-uri?”

“I’ll only kiss your lips if you tell me what else she told you.” Yuuri rolls his eyes but his cheeks flush like he’s interested.

“No, I’ll only tell you if I can kiss your lips.”

They stare at each other in a standstill, but Yuuri runs his tongue over his lips to taste that vanilla. Viktor leans in to take his kiss anyway, dropping his cigarette to fizzle out as he wraps his hands in Yuuri’s hair. Yuuri drops his cigarette too and puts his own hands in Viktor’s hair, massaging his fingertips on his scalp. Not sure if it’s breathlessness from the smoke or kiss, Yuuri eventually pulls back. His head is spinning like he’s been practising quads. He can taste the alcohol from Viktor’s breath. It wasn’t how he expected their first kiss to be.

But it broke a barrier. And their next kiss will be better.

“Well?”

“Hmm,” Viktor taps his chin. “I seem to have forgotten. Maybe you’ll have to kiss me again?” he flutters his eyelashes innocently.

“Vi-i-iktor,” Yuuri whines. “That’s not fair. I upheld my end of the bargain.”

“We all should have some surprises for later.” Viktor winks, then kisses him again on the lips as he gets up from his chair. “C’est la vie, Yuuri.”

**Author's Note:**

> omiyage - present/gift  
> Hakata dialect - the dialect spoken in Fukuoka Prefecture


End file.
